Billie MK3 Pre order and Price!!


Hello All,

Received an email from Billie yesterday to pre-order the new MK3.  Yikes!! Was not expecting the amp to be priced over 40% higher than the MK2.  I was interested in the Spartan with no DAC/digital ins or Bluetooth.  Heck, they want $2800.00 just for that.  Very disappointed.  Not ready to spend that much.

Comments?

Lawrence From MI

 

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Hi -

I purchased the Heaven 11 Bille MK II amp just about 2 years ago.  I paid roughly $1600 USD new.  It is used in a second system with Golden Ear BRX speakers, PS Audio SACD transport and GainCell DAC, and a Technics 1500 turntable.  The Billie amp replaced a Rogue Sphinx MK 3 integrated that I really liked, but was just too damn noisy.  A REGA Brio amp preceded the Rogue.

I paid $1600 USD new for the amp.  I splurged and got the marble volume knobs.  Very pretty.

I wanted an integrated amp with phono.  Bluetooth and DAC were not of interest.  The amp was an attractive buy at $1600 and was keeping with the Rogue price wise.  At the time, if it were $3000, I would have looked for something else.  

Don't get me wrong, it is a nice performing amp.  Watched the Steve Guttenberg YouTube videos for a more full review as he delves into all the audio niceties.  Reviewers all praise this amp.  I like the amp, I just don't love it.  Maybe it is Class D fatigue.  The overall sound doesn't move me and I have tried different speakers (Zu Omen Monitors), swapped interconnects, just not sure how to tweak this one.  

If I were going to drop $3k, I would probably go with something like the Prima Luna EVO 100 integrated.  Granted, prices have gotten stupid crazy over the last few years, but $3k is steep in my mind for my uses.  

Rich 

 

Then don’t buy anything if prices are too high.

As if the Billie MK3 is the only Integrated available.

Like I have pointed out, many good alternatives out there, at lower prices.

You are overpaying. When I got out of the service in late 1970, I went to work at a Lincoln-Mercury dealership. Our retail labor rate was $7.00 per hour

$7 per hour in the late 1970's is equal to $36 per hour today.